Fence-post



S. BEGKWITH.

FENCE POST.

No 282 039 Patented J1i1 31, 1883. 4

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL BEOIUVITH, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, IOXVA.

FENCE-POST;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 282,039, dated July 31, 1883.

v I Application filed December 4, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BEOKWITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Fence Posts and Braces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to metallic posts designed for wire fences, constructed of sheets of metal, and provided with enlargements at their base, and with means for using supernumerary posts for supporting-braces where necessary.

I am aware that fence-posts have been constructed of sheet metal bent in various shapes some in angular and some in corrugated angular forms, having transverse slots or notches in their angles for attaching fence-wires to themsome in similar shape, with notches for attaching said wires to the outer edge of one of the wings or flanges. Others are made in a semicircular form transversely, having independent wire attaching devices provided with screws and taps on their ends for fastening them to the posts. Other posts still are made in a cylindrical form, having wood cores into which wire fasteners are driven; and still others are. made round and provided with wire-attaching devices encircling them, all of which are objectionable in being too expensive for general use when made heavy enough to give proper strength. Fences have also been constructed having long tubular braces set diagonally between adjacent posts, being at taehed to said posts by means of collars c011- nected with their ends, which collars are simply slipped downward from the top over said posts. Said braces, as arranged, are obj ection able, first, in requiring special provision to be made for them in procuring fence-supplies. Owing tothe frequent changes or resettings of farm-fences the requisite number of said braces would vary. Therefore to'have a sufficient supply at hand to meet all demands would require a surplus of said braces to be kept 011 'hand which could not be utilized for other purposes. A further objection to said braces 1s, they have nothing to prevent. their collars from slipping upward off over the top of the post, or so as to yield to pressure against said post;

The object of my invention is to provideametallic post shaped so as to give proper strength with but little weight of material in its construction, by using one narrow strip of sheet metal of uniform width and thickness, and to have at the same time, without additional parts, good and efficient wire attachments, all cheaply constructed; and, further, to provide bracing at tachmen'ts to said posts as a means of strengthenin g them where necessary, for which purpose supernumerary posts maybe used as said braces, all constructed so as to be cheaper and of less cost in transportation than effective and durable posts now in use.

My invention consists in rolling or bending a strip of sheet metal longitudinally, so that a transverse section may be a scroll having a straight projecting tangent, and its form cylindrical with a longitudinal tangential flange, and inhaving diagonal upward-sloping slits cut in the outer edge of said flange for the re ception' and securing of fence-wires thereto, and in also providing a suflicient number of said posts with a transverse square-cut slot or recess for attaching brace-collars thereto.

It also consists in the form of and manner of applying said brace-collars, and the manner of using supernumerary posts as braces, when required.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a short section of fence embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of one post detached, showin g the manner of cutting the slits for attaching wires and for securing one of the bracecollars. Fig. 3 is a sleeve for splicing two or more posts when used as braces. Fig. 4 is a view of one brace-collar; and Fig. 5 is a view of one enlargement for the base of the post.

Similar reference-letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings, of which- A represents the posts; a, the projecting flanges of the same; B, the brace; C, sleeves for splicing two or more posts together for forming braces; D, bracecollars; e, slits in the flanges aof the posts for attaching fence-wires thereto; e, recesses for receiving collars D, and in which they are held; (the latter are, however, only used where braces are needed in a fence, and only oneto thepost, as is shown in Fig. 1,where it will be seen that one will be necessary at the top'of the post braced and one at-or near the top of the ground in the adjacent post and E are enlargements for the base of the posts, which enlargements are to give a more substantial bearing to the otherwise small base of the post when set into the ground. By having, as here represented, one at the extreme lower end of the post and one near the surface of the ground said object is accomplished as well as if a full-length large base were used. Said enlargements are placed over the posts when setting, and cemented by filling with concrete or other material. They may be made of wood, metal, pottery, or other material.

In constructing a fence said posts A are set in the ground with their flanges pointing in a lateral direction from the line of fence. At the corners of lots or fields, and at the'ends also of straight sections, the outer posts are braced, as shown at Fig. 1, which is done by slipping the collars D over the top of the posts,,with theflanges a of said posts in the slots cof said collars, and the shank d of the collar on the outer post pointing laterally from the line of fence and angling downward, and the shank of said collar 011 the inner post pointing laterally, as above, but angling upward. On the outer post the collar. D is placed in a recess, 0, near the top of the post, and on theinner post the said collar is placed in a similar recess at or near the top of the ground. Both of said collars are then rotated on the cylindrical shafts of said posts, respectively, until their shanks will point in the direction of each other,tl1ereby securing them from slipping endwise on said posts by reason of the slots c in said collarshaving been turned out of line of said flanges a. Then a brace, 13, either composed of two or more posts spliced by inserting one end of each into asleeve, G, or otherwise constructed, is placed to connect said collars, which is done by inserting their shanks, respectively, into its ends, and by means of the tension of the fence-wires they are forced tightly into the same. thereby firmly bracing said posts. As additional and counter supports to said posts, to prevent the top of one and the bottom of the other giving by pressure exerted by the braces B, wire stays 0 may be provided, as is shown, to bind them together. Having thus arranged the posts, the fence wires are placed in the slits c, and when stretched are tightened in their places by closing the lips of said slits by means of striking the under ones with a hammer, The object of using fence-posts for braces is that a supply is more likely to be at hand at all times than if dependent upon other braces especially constructed for the purpose, as they may be used either as posts or braces. Having thus fully described my invention so as to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to. un derstand the same,

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A fence-post, A, constructed of one strip of sheet metal of uniform width and bent at one side into cylindrical form, with the other edge extending tangentially, forming a flange, a, and provided withslits e and recesses c in said flange, substantially as shown and described, for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with posts A, made and arranged as herein described, collars D and the wires of a fence, the braces B, each being composed of two or more of the posts A, spliced or connected together by means of the sleeves O, substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

3 In combination with the braces B and fence posts A, made as herein described, having the flange a and recesses c, the collars 1), provided with recesses or slots 6, and deflected shanks, substantially as herein shown, for the purposes specified.

SAMUEL BEGKXVITH.

Vitncsses: Hermon Coon, J. 1?. ETHERIDGE. 

